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Letters to the Editor

(The following letter was sent
recently to Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Bob DeLeo by a
group of mayors around the Commonwealth, including Mayor Carlo DeMaria)

Dear Senate President Spilka
and Speaker DeLeo,

Voting is a fundamental
right and is guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.

In the midst of a highly
contagious infectious disease, we implore you to ensure safe and healthy ballot
access in 2020.

We ask the state legislature
to act with urgency in reviewing and passing a vote-by-mail program in
Massachusetts for this election cycle.

Our constituents deserve the
opportunity to exercise their right to vote without risk of exposure to a
deadly virus. Every voter in the Commonwealth deserves a safe chance at
participating in the democratic process, even through this extremely
challenging time for our country.

In recent years with many
safeguards available, vote by mail has become the gold standard for voter
access and participation. There are many excellent programs across the country
in states including Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. In response
to COVID-19, more states have stepped forward, including New York, New
Hampshire and Maryland, to ensure ballot access.

Massachusetts has always
been a leader during challenging times for our country. The Commonwealth with
the leadership of the Senate and House must lead again with ensuring safe,
healthy, widely available ballot access by passing a vote by mail
program.

In this time of pandemic, no
one should be forced to choose between their health and their right to vote.
Even Dr. Fauci is uncertain when this current surge will subside, with experts
projecting possible recurrence in the fall just as voters head to the polls for
the statewide September 1 primary and the November 3 general election.

As Mayors serving 22 cities
we see Vote by Mail as the best chance our constituents and Commonwealth have
to protect the integrity of our 2020 elections and the health of our voters.
Thank you for your urgent consideration of this request.

Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr., Everett

Mayor Thomas McGee, Lynn

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Newton

Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Gloucester

Mayor Kim Driscoll, Salem

Mayor John J Leahy, Lowell

Mayor Joseph M. Petty, Worcester

Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, Easthampton

Mayor Paul Brodeur, Melrose

Mayor William Reichelt, West Springfield

Mayor David Narkewicz, Northampton

Mayor Daniel Rivera, Lawrence

Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Framingham

Mayor Donna Holaday, Newburyport

Mayor Jon Mitchell, New Bedford

Mayor Neil Perry, Methuen

Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, Greenfield

Mayor Thomas Bernard, North Adams

Mayor Paul Coogan, Fall River

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, Cambridge

Mayor Kassandra Gove, Amesbury

Mayor Linda Tyer, Pittsfield

Overwhelmed with Gratitude

Dear Editor,

I want to take this
opportunity to recognize Mayor DeMaria and his administration, the City
Council, state delegation and volunteers for there commitment to our city
during this difficult time the volunteers and all those who putting their lives
at risk to help those who are less fortunate. I am overwhelmed with gratitude
for the help we have received for Seniors during these challenging times. For
example, this week alone, the Facilities Department has picked up approximately
2,500 pounds of food to be distributed at The Connolly Center Food Pantry. The
Facilities Department, led by George Lane, is amazing and are on point with
this process. Kudos to them!

Those foods have been
distributed to approximately 1,000 people who wait in line during the Grab and
Go Food Pantry.

Additionally, members of the
Everett Police Department and volunteers deliver approximately 150 bags of
groceries from our pantry as well as the Grace Food Pantry.

Our volunteers also
distribute food to the various senior buildings, including 40 at Golden Age
Circle, 60 at Whitney Lorenti house, by Gerri Miranda and Clare Ellyn Nee.

Finally, 120 bags of
groceries get delivered by staff and volunteers to Whitter Drive Housing
Complex, and Glendale Towers per request.

The Inspectional Services
Department has been delivering 450 meals to seniors each day. Hats off to Jim
Frank, Lou and the entire crew for in many instances, going the extra mile to
make sure our seniors are safe. Lunch delivery serves many purposes, first and
foremost to provide at least one nutritious meal to our seniors each day. It also
serves as a wellness check and in some cases a little bit of social interaction
that our seniors would otherwise not have at this, or any other time.

Of course, our guys at the
City Services make sure our excess trash, boxes and recyclables are picked up
in a timely manner and are ready to lend a hand as requested.

I would like to also add, I
have received a tremendous amount of positive responses on The Senior Exercise
classes airing on ECTV.

Here are just a few examples
below:

“Thank you for the classes.
They are keeping me sane”

“It’s good to see a friendly
face on ECTV.”

“Everett cares for us
seniors.”

I am pleased with the way
the community has banded together to help our most at-risked residents. I would
like to thank everyone for the help, the compassion and willingness to go above
and beyond.

Regards & Stay Safe,

Dale Palma

Council on Aging

Coordinator

Reach Out to Me

Dear Editor,

I want to take this time and
write to you and your family. Let me start by introducing myself. For those
that don’t know me, I am Michael J. McLaughlin, a life-long Everett resident
and currently YOUR Ward Six City Councilor representing all of Everett.

I wanted to reach out and
send positive thoughts, in the face of the coronavirus. We have seen
unprecedented changes in our community overnight unfortunately. I want you to
know, one thing that has not changed is my commitment to serve the general
public as a whole. The majority of my life I have spent trying to help my
neighbors, and in this time it only offers a greater opportunity to do so. I
hope that this letter finds you and your family healthy and safe. We all need
to continue following social distancing and practicing staying at home as often
as possible, which brings me to my letter today. I wanted to reach out to offer
any support and help that I can give during these uncharted times that we are
living in, as we all battle together to overcome one of the worst pandemics our
country has ever faced. As a member of the Everett City Council, I am fully
committed to working together with all stakeholders involved to ensure that our
city will come out of this stronger and more resilient than ever after this
pandemic has come to a close.

This being said I want you
to know and be informed that if I can be of any service to you and your family
during this time, or a need arises where I can help resolve a matter to keep
your family safe while keeping you at home, please don’t hesitate to reach out
to me directly, as I have been receiving calls for assistance with grocery
shopping, prescription pickup and other day-to-day errands. Please do not
believe any issue is too big or too small to call on a friend. I will
absolutely do all that I can to ensure that your need is addressed immediately.
I want you to know you have a friend in me.